Showing posts with label Thanksgiving verse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving verse. Show all posts

09 October 2023

Hidden Thanksgiving Day Verse

Lines for the day from Canada and Other Poems, Thomas Frederick Young's lone volume of verse. Published in 1887 by Hunter, Rose, the table of contents is interesting in that the page numbers are off. What makes it truly curious is that there's no mention of 'Thanksgiving Day,' one of the stronger poems in the collection. 

THANKSGIVING DAY
                     God of the harvest, once again
                         Our joyful tones we raise,
                    For all Thy goodness, day by day,
                         We give Thee thankful praise.

                    With blessings rich, from fertile field,
                         And gifts from fruitful tree,
                    We wish, this day, our thanks to yield
                         With earnest hearts, to Thee.

                    We ploughed the ground, we sow'd the seed,
                         But Thou didst send the rain
                    In grateful show'rs, in time of need.
                         And now we've reap'd the grain.

                    The sun with grateful heat did shine;
                         The dew did nightly fall;
                    And now, for loaded tree and vine —
                         We give Thee thanks for all.

                    The bee, in well-fill'd honey cells.
                         Her sweets for us hath stow'd,
                    The crystal water in the wells,
                         For us from springs hath flowed.

                    The lowing herd, the prancing steed
                         Received we from Thy hand.
                    And we, this day, return oar meed
                         Of praise, throughout the land.

                    Then let us sing with earnest hearts,
                         Tho' joyful be each lay,
                    And thankful ev'ry song that starts
                         On this Thanksgiving Day.

09 October 2022

11 October 2021

Thanksgiving Verse by J.K. Foran


Poetry for this Thanksgiving Day by J.K. Foran, KC, Lit D, LL D., from the posthumously published collection A Garland: Lectures and Poems (Montreal: Gazette, [1931]).

THANKSGIVING 

      For the sound of waters rushing
            In bubbling beads of light;
      For the fleets of snow-white lilies
            Firm anchored out of sight;
      For the reeds among the eddies,
            The crystals on the clod;
      For the flowing of the rivers,
            I thank Thee, O my God!

      For the rosebud’s break of beauty,
            Along the toiler’s way;
      For the violet’s eye that opens
            To bless the new born day;
      For the bare twigs that in summer
            Bloom like the prophet’s rod;
      For the blossomings of flowers,
            I thank Thee, O my God!

      For the lifting up of mountains
            In brightness and in dread;
      For the peaks where snow and sunshine
            Alone have dared to tread;
      For the dark and silent gorges
            Whence mighty cedars nod;
      For the majesty of mountains,
            I thank Thee, O my God!

      For the splendor of the sunsets,
            Vast mirrored on the sea;
      For the gold-fringed clouds that curtain
            Heaven’s inner majesty;
      For the molten bars of twilight,
            Where thought leans glad, yet awed;
      For the glory of the sunlight,
            I thank Thee, O my God!

      For the earth and all its beauty,
            The sky and all its light;
      For the dim and soothing shadows
            That rest the dazzling sight;
      For unfading fields and prairies,
            Where sense in vain has trod;
      For the world’s exhaustless beauty,
            I thank Thee, O my God!

      For an eye of inward seeing,
            A soul to know and love;
      For these common aspirations
            That our high heirship prove;
      For the hearts that bless each other
            Beneath Thy smile, Thy rod;
      For the amaranth saved from Eden,
            I thank Thee, O my God!

      For the hidden scroll, o’erwritten
            With one dear name adored;
      For the heavenly in the human,
            The Spirit in the Word;
      For the tokens of Thy presence
            Within, above, abroad;
      For Thine own great gift of being,
            I thank Thee, O my God.
Sadly, I don't own a copy of A Garland. Happily, it can be read online at Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec through this link. Their copy was a gift to the Bibliothèque de la ville de Montréal from Dusty Bookcase favourite Ethel Ursula Foran, Dr Foran's daughter.


12 October 2020

Doctor Logan's Ode for Thanksgiving Day



Verse for the day by son of Antigonish J.D. Logan. This version is taken from his Songs of the Makers of Canada and Other Homeland Lyrics (Toronto: Briggs, 1911).

LAND BLEST WITH YOUTH
An Ode for Thanksgiving Day
Land blest with youth and strength, with wealth and peace—
These are thy dower with which to rear a realm
Where men shall own their full enfranchisement
In recompense for purer purposes
Than elder empires' sordid gluttonies.

These are senescent now. The frosts of Fate
Have touched their Tree of Life: the blighted leaves
Are dropping swift and yellowing in decay
Autumnal:—and in His own time Who plans
The universal destiny and doom,
Profoundest glacial snows shall cover them
And no requick'ning sun shall rise to melt
Their gelid grave. Forever they shall lie
Wrapt up in silence in their lethal bed.

But thou, young Titan of the West, whose years
Are leafy yet, thy branches full of sap,
And green already with Life's ampler deeds,
Give thanks, this day, for thy predestined task!
For He whose throne is everywhere, and guides
The courses of the million million worlds,
Hath consecrated thee—thy youth and strength,
Thy peace and gifts of earthly plenitude—
To service for our race—disquieted
By Mammon's crew—till we at length behold
The Dayspring of the Brotherhood of Man.

Give thanks, and trust thy sons, O Canada—
Their prayers are with thee and their present deeds
Are fateful of the nobler race to come!
E'en now upon thy brow the radiance shines
Of lofty Statehood, unassorted and free,
While unseen hands unfold thy destiny.
Wishing all a happy and safe Thanksgiving.


12 October 2019

An Old Thanksgiving Ode by James McIntyre



For the weekend, Thanksgiving verse from James McIntyre, the poet who gave us 'Ode to the Mammoth Cheese'. This version, taken from Poems of James McIntyre, published in 1889 by the Ingersoll Chronicle, serves to remind that Canadian Thanksgiving was once celebrated in November. It was moved forward after the slaughter of the Great War and the recognition of Remembrance Day.

We Canadians have so much for which to be thankful.

THANKSGIVING ODE, NOVEMBER 15TH, 1888
                 September came and with it frost
                 The season's pasture it seemed lost,
                 And the wondrous yield of corn
                 Of its green beauty it was shorn. 
                 Frost it came like early robber,
                 But gentle rains came in October,
                 Which were absorbed by grateful soil;
                 With green once more the pastures smile. 
                 And cows again are happy seen
                 Enjoying of the pastures green,
                 And flow of milk again they yield
                 From the sweet feed of grassy field. 
                 And we have now a fine November,
                 Warmer far than in September;
                 The apple, which is queen of fruits,
                 Was a good crop and so is roots. 
                 The rains they did replenish springs,
                 And it gratitude to each heart brings,
                 When we reflect on bounteous season,
                 For grateful feelings all have reason.

Related posts:

08 October 2017

Edna Jaques' Award-Winning Thanksgiving Verse



For this Thanksgiving weekend, verse from Canada's beloved Poet Laureate of the Home. First published in 1932, "Thankful for What?" was named New York Times Outstanding Poem of the Year. She received twenty American dollars.
Thankful for What? 

     Not for the mighty world, O Lord, tonight,
          Nations and kingdoms in their fearful might —
     Let me be glad the kettle gently sings,
          Let me be thankful just for the little things. 
     Thankful for simple food and supper spread,
          Thankful for shelter and a warm, clean bed,
     For little joyful feet that gladly run
          To welcome me when my day's work is done. 
     Thankful for friends who share my woe or mirth,
          Glad for the warm, sweet fragrance of the earth,
     For golden pools of sunlight on the floor,
          For love that sheds its peace about my door. 
     For little friendly days that slip away,
          With only meals and bed, and work and play,
     A rocking-chair and kindly firelight —
          For little things let me be glad tonight.

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11 October 2009

A Thanksgiving Hymn




"A Thanksgiving Hymn" by Agnes Maule Machar (a/k/a Fidelis), from the revised edition of her Lays of the 'True North,' and Other Canadian Poems, published in 1902 by Copp, Clark. Miss Machar's portrait is taken from Canadian Singers and Their Songs, compiled by Edward S. Caswell (Toronto: McCleland & Stewart, 1919).